Nebraska House race: Republican war hawk vs. NGO-supporting Democrat

6:06 pm
&nbsp October 22, 2018

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LINCOLN – October 22, 2018

Nebraska is considered to be of low electoral importance, as it only sends three representatives to the House, yet, it just mightbecome a battle state for both the Republicans and for the Democrats, since there are many undecided voters registered there. Thus, Nebraska’s midterm campaigns are ratherinteresting to follow.

So who is running for Congressional seats in Nebraska?

There are two candidates who will probably hold their posts. Republican Jeff Fortenberry (1st District) has been representing the state in the House since 2005. An economist and a graduate of a Catholic school, "uncommonly well-informed on international issues," as local media describe him, won re-election back in 2016 by a significant margin, receiving 69% of the votes in his home district, and the probability of him losing this year is close to zero; only a miracle can help the simple chemist and Democrat Jessica McClure overthrow such a political heavyweight.

Everything is pretty clear in the 3rd Congressional district as well, since Republican Adrian Smith, a former realtor, who previously served in the Nebraska Legislature, has been in the office since 2007. Back in 2012, he smashed his Democratic opponent, Mark Sullivan, with 74% of the vote. As for this year, educator and author Paul Theobald will probably suffer the same fate as Sullivan, with probably a similar margin between the Republican favorite and the Democrat underdog as in 2012.

The only Nebraskan district where the race is expected to be close is the 2nd, where true Republican war hawk and retired United States Air Force Brigadier General Don Bacon will face NGO-supporting and women’s rights activist Democrat Kara Eastman. While rural Nebraska is considered a Republican stronghold, Democrats may have a chance there this year.

The latest poll, conducted by Bacon’s Electoral Headquarters, shows them with a 9% margin — which corresponds to the number of 2nd district voters who remained undecided by the beginning of October. If Democrats can manage to take advantage of these neutral voters, they could upset the Republicans. And interestingly, Bacon has only been representing the state since January 3, 2017, so he has little electoral experience.

Back in 2016, Bacon ran for Congress on four major issues: addressing harmful regulations by federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor, reforming the tax code, addressing the national debt of nearly $20 trillion, and strengthening the military. As for the fourth issue, Bacon believes the U.S.’s main enemies are Russia and China, thus he promised his voters to put every effort into counteracting these countries.

Bacon’s stance on immigration places him at odds with many other Republicans on the issue:

They did not willingly seek to violate American statutes when they traveled with their families across our borders, as the alternative was often life without primary caregivers…

Meanwhile, Eastman is known as a civil society activist, havingworked with various nonprofit organizations, including a battered woman's shelter and a student-based volunteer program assisting those with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Nebraskans haven’t made their choice yet, thus, the most tempting political events in the state are still yet to come.